“Oh, I will, don’t worry. It was nice meeting you.”
“You too, sweetie. Thanks for all the help.”
Easton grabbed my hand and led me out of the snack shop.
“Your aunt’s really great,” I told him.
“Yeah. My mom has three sisters and she’s my favorite. They are all pretty great, but she’s my Cousin Chase’s mom. Chase and I are the same age. We practically lived at each other’s houses growing up. She’s like my second mom. So I spent the most time with their family and the same went for him. You’ll meet him at the diner.”
I nodded. I wondered what it must have been like, having such a big family.
“Why do you call her Aunt Bellie?”
He laughed. “Her name is Annabelle, but the Bellie part came when she was pregnant with my cousin Finn. We were pretty little. Her belly got really big, so instead of calling her Aunt Annabelle, I nicknamed her Aunt Bellie. It kind of stuck. Now all the cousins call her that. What can I say? She loves me.” He shrugged. He was adorable.
As we walked out of the stadium, I thought how different it looked from just a short while before. It was so quiet, almost creepy. As we approached the parking lot, I realized that when I was with Easton I didn’t feel panicky in the dark. Weird. I always felt like that, even with my mom.
“Did you have fun at the game?” he asked.
I smiled. “It was really great, especially because we won.”
“Yeah, that does usually make it more fun.” He pulled my hand so I was closer to him, our shoulders brushing as we walked.
I wanted to tell him how great he did, but I didn’t want to sound like a gushing idiot. “Did you have fun?” I asked.
“Well, now… I guess I did,” he said as he opened my door. I was starting to get used to all these manners. He went around to his side and got in.
“You did really well. That last pass was amazing.” Next stop: fan-girliness.
“Well, the team makes it easy.” He never seemed full of himself, even though he easily could be.
We got to the diner in minutes. It was only a few blocks away, and it was packed. I could feel my heart start to speed up. For normal people, this kind of thing would probably not be a problem. For me, however, it presented more than one. I had actually never dated. The last two years, when I probably would have been considering it, I wasn’t in any state to even think about that. Plus, I never knew what anyone’s motives were back home. Pity, notoriety, morbid curiosity—or were they truly interested? There hadn’t been anyone who seemed worth figuring that out for. So, honestly, this was my first date, ever . And it was with the most popular boy in school—in front of the entire school. No problem. I just hoped I could keep from hyperventilating.
We parked and Easton turned off the car. He looked at me before he went to open the door.
“Ready?”
I nodded.
“You have that same look you had that day by your locker. Are you sure you’re okay? We can go somewhere else if you want.”
“I’m fine. Let’s go,” I insisted.
He didn’t move. He looked at me, and I knew he was evaluating whether or not to believe me.
“Really. I know it’s going to be a little overwhelming, but it’s all right. There are just a lot of people. I don’t really like being stared at,” I said sheepishly.
“Jasmine, you’re a gorgeous girl. You’re going to have to get used to the staring someday.”
I glared at him. “I know they must check your eyesight before football starts, but I’m starting to wonder.”
I went to open my car door and he gave me the look. He mumbled under his breath as he got out of the car. I thought he said something about a mirror, but I wasn’t sure.
He opened my car door and grabbed my hand as we walked across the parking lot. I got goose bumps. I wasn’t really a touchy-feely kind of girl, but I never wanted to let go of his hand. I already liked him so much it was scary. How had this happened so fast? He was rubbing
“You too, sweetie. Thanks for all the help.”
Easton grabbed my hand and led me out of the snack shop.
“Your aunt’s really great,” I told him.
“Yeah. My mom has three sisters and she’s my favorite. They are all pretty great, but she’s my Cousin Chase’s mom. Chase and I are the same age. We practically lived at each other’s houses growing up. She’s like my second mom. So I spent the most time with their family and the same went for him. You’ll meet him at the diner.”
I nodded. I wondered what it must have been like, having such a big family.
“Why do you call her Aunt Bellie?”
He laughed. “Her name is Annabelle, but the Bellie part came when she was pregnant with my cousin Finn. We were pretty little. Her belly got really big, so instead of calling her Aunt Annabelle, I nicknamed her Aunt Bellie. It kind of stuck. Now all the cousins call her that. What can I say? She loves me.” He shrugged. He was adorable.
As we walked out of the stadium, I thought how different it looked from just a short while before. It was so quiet, almost creepy. As we approached the parking lot, I realized that when I was with Easton I didn’t feel panicky in the dark. Weird. I always felt like that, even with my mom.
“Did you have fun at the game?” he asked.
I smiled. “It was really great, especially because we won.”
“Yeah, that does usually make it more fun.” He pulled my hand so I was closer to him, our shoulders brushing as we walked.
I wanted to tell him how great he did, but I didn’t want to sound like a gushing idiot. “Did you have fun?” I asked.
“Well, now… I guess I did,” he said as he opened my door. I was starting to get used to all these manners. He went around to his side and got in.
“You did really well. That last pass was amazing.” Next stop: fan-girliness.
“Well, the team makes it easy.” He never seemed full of himself, even though he easily could be.
We got to the diner in minutes. It was only a few blocks away, and it was packed. I could feel my heart start to speed up. For normal people, this kind of thing would probably not be a problem. For me, however, it presented more than one. I had actually never dated. The last two years, when I probably would have been considering it, I wasn’t in any state to even think about that. Plus, I never knew what anyone’s motives were back home. Pity, notoriety, morbid curiosity—or were they truly interested? There hadn’t been anyone who seemed worth figuring that out for. So, honestly, this was my first date, ever . And it was with the most popular boy in school—in front of the entire school. No problem. I just hoped I could keep from hyperventilating.
We parked and Easton turned off the car. He looked at me before he went to open the door.
“Ready?”
I nodded.
“You have that same look you had that day by your locker. Are you sure you’re okay? We can go somewhere else if you want.”
“I’m fine. Let’s go,” I insisted.
He didn’t move. He looked at me, and I knew he was evaluating whether or not to believe me.
“Really. I know it’s going to be a little overwhelming, but it’s all right. There are just a lot of people. I don’t really like being stared at,” I said sheepishly.
“Jasmine, you’re a gorgeous girl. You’re going to have to get used to the staring someday.”
I glared at him. “I know they must check your eyesight before football starts, but I’m starting to wonder.”
I went to open my car door and he gave me the look. He mumbled under his breath as he got out of the car. I thought he said something about a mirror, but I wasn’t sure.
He opened my car door and grabbed my hand as we walked across the parking lot. I got goose bumps. I wasn’t really a touchy-feely kind of girl, but I never wanted to let go of his hand. I already liked him so much it was scary. How had this happened so fast? He was rubbing
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